BREAKING: Tinubu Reportedly Tells Akeredolu To Hand Over Power To Deputy

President Bola Tinubu has reportedly given instructions to Ondo State Governor Rotimi Akeredolu to transfer power to his deputy, Lucky Aiyedatiwa.

Due to the governor’s weakened condition, the transfer will be facilitated through an electronic signature (e-signature), according to sources.

This development follows a crucial meeting convened by Tinubu on Monday to address the leadership crisis in Ondo resulting from Akeredolu’s prolonged absence since July 2023. The meeting was the second called by the President to address concerns about the governor’s health and its impact on state governance.

Pressure from civil society organisations and political institutions, threatening mass protests in Ondo State if Akeredolu didn’t step down, prompted the meeting. The governor has largely been absent since returning from a three-month medical leave in Germany in September.

Key figures at the meeting included Deputy Governor Aiyedatiwa, House of Assembly Speaker Olamide Oladiji, Akeredolu’s son Babajide, and Senator Jimoh Ibrahim.

Initially, discussions centered around invoking the doctrine of necessity through the State House of Assembly to appoint Aiyedatiwa as Acting Governor. However, concerns about potential humiliation for the ailing governor led to a different approach.

“During the meeting, it was agreed that the State House of Assembly should invoke the doctrine of necessity and make Lucky Ayedatiwa the Acting Governor, but the Speaker and Senator Jimoh Ibrahim pleaded that the ailing governor would be humiliated,” revealed a source.

“The son (Babajide) then promised to go and obtain his father’s e-signature to pen a letter to the State House of Assembly, transferring power to the deputy governor.”